The result shored up third spot on the AFL ladder for the Cats and set up a qualifying final clash with arch-rivals Hawthorn.

With Fremantle having beaten Port Adelaide earlier in the day, the Cats knew they had to win at Kardinia Park to avoid slipping to fourth place and a nightmare trip to Sydney in the first week of the finals.

They did it with ease, extending their lead at every change to win 21.17 (143) to 12.9 (81) on Saturday night against the under-manned Lions.

Hawkins led the way with seven majors - giving him 62 for the home and away season.

If the late withdrawals of vice-captain Tom Rockliff (virus) and clever forward Dayne Zorko (personal reasons) were not enough bad omens for Brisbane, it became crystal clear it was not going to be their night when the ball struck Darcy Gardiner flush in the temple in the second minute following an errant kick from team-mate Pearce Hanley.

But they continued to battle away, with Irishman Hanley and young guns Lewis Taylor and Zac O'Brien among their best contributors.

Josh Green led the Lions' goalscorers with three.

Hawkins kicked four of his seven goals in the opening half, but the Cats did most of their damage in the second as they recorded their biggest score of the season.

Geelong and Hawthorn will return to the MCG on Friday night to renew their great modern-day rivalry in the first week of the finals, only two weeks after the Hawks beat them by 23 points in round 21.

With Matthew Leuenberger returning to the Brisbane line-up after recovering from a serious knee injury, Lions coach Justin Leppitsch experimented successfully by also regularly deploying his other ruckman Stefan Martin at the centre bounces.

The Lions ended their first season under Leppitsch in 15th place with a 7-15 win-loss record.